I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of the applications of Asst Surgeons Brook,
Gen. Hospl No. 9 and Surgeon Hoyt, Gen. Hospl No. 13, for the detail
of enlisted men in the army, for the purpose of assisting citizens
engaged in baking of bread for these Hospls referred to me by Chief
Surgeon Mason and which are herewith returned with endorsement.

Army Regulation, Par 45 183, provides
that a post fund is to be raised at each post by a tax on the sutler
[page break] of 10 cts a month for each Officer and soldier of the
command, according to the average in each month, to be ascertained
by the Council, and from the saving of the flour rations, ordinarily
33 per cent, by baking the soldiers bread at a Post Bakery ++++++
Par 187

The following are the objects of expenditures
of the post fund, (1st) Expenses of the bake house, (2nd) &c
++++++++++ 14 Par 197, Army Regls. Note No. 6, as soldiers are
expected to preserve, distribute and cook their own rations
subsistence , the hire of Citizens for any of these duties is not
allowed except in extreme cases. The expenses of baking are paid
from the post fund, such as purchase of Hops, yeast, furniture as
???, clothes & c, and the hire of bakers. Ovens may be built or paid
for by the subsistence department, but not bake houses. These as
part of permanent quarters, are to be provided, rented or built by
the Q. M. Department.

Flour is issued 1 lb, 2 oz to the ration, 2/3
lb hard bread, and 1 lb of bakers bread. A barrel weighing 196 lbs
of Flour, in baking takes up water and increases in weight in
proportion to its quality. Superfine, the best, makes better bread,
more porous, more digestible and 25 lbs of bread to 1 bbll of 195
lbs. The meanest flour makes 240 lbs to 195 lbs. The Chimborazo
Bakery costs about $70 per month, for hops, salt and potatoes, the
furniture equipment cost $500. Its cost of erection was $2000 and it
could be now built for nearly the same. It has 2 bakers at $40 per
month, 2 Asst bakery boys @ $25 and 2 laborers. Surg. McCaw, when
superfine flour was issued, commuted 1/3 of the flour ration, and
now on account of the very inferior flour issued, commutes about
1/4, amounting for 3,500 patients and attendants to about 5 bblls
per day.

By simple calculation in one barrel of flour
superfine weighing nett pounds 196, and making 265 lbs of bread
there are 174 2/9 rations of flour or 265 of bread or a gain of 91
7/9 rations, for the most inferior flour of the same weight, making
240 lbs. 240 bread rations, and a gain of 65.4 rations. Supposing
only very inferior flour was used, were the baking of bread general,
for every [page break] 1000 rations, there would be a saving in
difference of bread rations, saving by baking of 270 rations for
15000 men, 4810 rations per day and for 30 days 144,300 rations. If
superfine were used, 500 to 1000 or 50 per cent.

Gen Hospital No. 1 No. 4 Chimborazo, Winder and
S. Carolina, have ovens and bake houses. I respectfully suggest that
the saving of 37 per ct, to 50 per ct gross, in this article of
subsistence, is an important item of economy and recommend that
ovens be constructed by the subsistence department, and bakers
engaged and managed by that department, so that the Government may
have the benefit of this economy.